Surrey retain the momentum despite Knight's defiance

Surrey 281-8 Warwickshire 256 Surrey win by 25 runs

Nick Knight has just announced his retirement from one-day international cricket, but his blistering hundred for Warwickshire that had Surrey nerves jangling here yesterday, begged the question, Why?

The left-hander paced himself perfectly, his first 50 coming off 61 balls, his second off 30 as he got into his stride and into the Surrey attack. At one stage it had looked as though Warwickshire, wobbling at 127 for 7, were going to roll over, but when Knight was joined by Mohammad Sheikh they rattled along adding 80 runs in just 11 overs.

But Surrey held firm despite their jangling nerves and the captain Adam Hollioake finally drew Knight into carving a ball over extra cover where Mark Ramprakash, lurking in the deep clung on to the catch – injuring a finger in the process.

Mohammad followed in the next over, but it was far from over. Warwickshire had a Wagg in their tail – a Graham of that name. He and the last man, Alan Richardson, thumped an enterprising 49 runs off 29 balls. Wagg's 11-ball innings for his 31 runs included three sixes – all off the Pakistan Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

It not only served to delay the inevitable that had been set up by Alex Tudor's earlier four-wicket haul and the lack of partners for Knight, but it also contributed mightily to a hugely entertaining match.

Dougie Brown had weighed in with a quickfire 25, before the big-hearted Scot became one of Tudor's victims, although not before hammering the England pace bowler for 17 runs in one over, including a six over midwicket and out of the ground.

His departure was carefully rehearsed by the batsman as well. He attempted a lunging pull at a short ball and the ball swirled into the stratosphere, going one way then another, to such an extent that no Surrey fielder could get under it and the ball fell harmlessly to earth.

Earlier, Ian Ward and Alistair Brown had got Surrey off to a fizzing start, the latter smashing his way back into some kind of form in 21 balls of mayhem, one of his two sixes looking destined for Vauxhall Station a half mile away until it hit the fence.

Ward fell just short of a half century as he and Ramprakash put on 75 for the second wicket. Ramprakash though went on to a belligerent 63, while Graham Thorpe's fine half century preceded a blinding catch at midwicket to dismiss Ian Bell that had helped put the skids under the Warwickshire innings.

* National League champions Glamorgan got their title defence off to a great start with a 44-run win over Leicestershire. David Hemp led the way with an unbeaten 83. Matthew Maynard made 43 before being run out and Michael Powell added 40 as they amassed 249 for 5 in their 45 overs. The Foxes were slumped to 75 for 5 and despite a valiant 80 from Darren Maddy they were all out well short of the target.